The Capacity Building Institute, a joint venture of ICA India and Emerging Ecology, provides practical skills and a contextual framework for people committed to enlivening Eco-futuric Communities within their organizations, neighborhoods, towns and villages. The modules of the Capacity Building Institute are oriented toward recent college graduates, young professionals and retirees beginning their encore career – people who realize that the worldview which drove the consumer-oriented growth of the 20th Century does not enable individuals and organizations to acting in ways that promote a mutually enhancing relationship between the human and non-human realms on Planet Earth as required in the 21st Century.

Within every community, neighborhood and organization, some people tend to look to the future and envision options that benefit both the people and the environment in which they live. The elements of the Community Empowerment module provide the skills and contextual framework this core group of people need to sharpen their vision and beckon others to work with them.

This module focuses on comprehensive thinking. It provides both new ideas and fresh ways of thinking about time-tested innovations for dealing with both the social networks and ecological concerns of any geographical area.

The Technology of Participation (ToP)® Module

When communities are ready to work together toward a common future, one of the major blocks they face centers on the need to build inclusive and effective plans. The Technology of Participation (ToP)® provides a way for people with diverse perspectives and skills to come together and produce workable plans that meet the needs of all the constituents.

This module provides the facilitation skills that community and organizational leaders need to tap into the group’s wisdom in ways that build cohesion and motivation. The particular sessions include in-depth conversation methods, workshop procedures and strategic planning processes to handle various situations that arise in a group’s journey.

The Corporateness Enhancement Module

Individuals that decide to become facilitators of community empowerment require unique skills and perspectives in order to respond to the challenges that lie ahead. The sessions in this module provide ways to design individual time and allocate personal resources as well as interior disciplines that enhance teamwork and cooperation.

In the 21st Century, teams of creative individuals provide greater contributions to their communities than any single-skilled individuals. The sessions of this module – through both theory and practice –demonstrate the potential of transformation through the presence and action of catalytic teams.

The Practical Skills Module

The final module focuses on practical skills to meet specific community needs. These will be adapted to the particular interests of the participants and opportunities available in their communities. Possible foci include: